Travelodge launches Travelodge Business™ the one-stop service to help businesses restart their business travel programme

Today, Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain which operates over 590 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain announces the launch of Travelodge Business™. This bespoke one-stop service has been created to help businesses restart their business travel programme post-pandemic, by supporting their accommodation needs and giving them substantial cash savings.

During the last 12 months, Travelodge has worked extensively with its regular business customers to help create a new and improved Travelodge Business™ product. The group conducted a comprehensive study with over 3,000 businesses of all different sizes and in different sectors to obtain a full perspective on the needs of companies and businesses travellers emerging from the national lockdown.

The key findings from this research alongside feedback from a series of business travel themed focus groups helped define the features and design of Travelodge Business™.

Following the May 2021 Government roadmap announcement, Travelodge soft-launched its new Travelodge Business™ service with nearly 100 existing customers and it has been well received. On average, since the full launch nearly 1,000 new companies are signing up to the service each week and all Travelodge’s existing business users have now been transferred over to the new service.

Travelodge Business™ is designed to support a range of businesses ranging from blue chip companies, SMEs and entrepreneurs. It provides a tailored, self-service business travel solution that offers genuine cost savings, exclusive benefits and a dedicated support team, enabling business customers to have full control over their bookings at a click of a button. This is a vital feature in the current environment as business travel plans can rapidly change.

On average, the savings companies can make via Travelodge Business™ range from a large company saving up to £250,000 on their hotel spend to a small SME making a saving of £1,000 per year on their hotel spend.

In addition, customers that hold a Travelodge Business Account card can enjoy all the benefits of Travelodge Business™ as well as the benefit of up to six weeks interest free credit so that the business traveller does not have to pay for anything on arrival. This includes expenses such as the room booking, WIFI and food & drink in the hotel Bar Café.

Craig Bonnar, Travelodge Chief Executive, said:

“We are seeing green shoots that business travel is restarting across the UK as businesses recognise that travel is important to success. Business travel is often about building relationships and some face-to-face meetings are essential. Our research shows company bosses are concerned about their bottom line and how they can make business travel affordable and safe in the ‘New Normal’, which is why we have invested in Travelodge Business™.

As the UK’s first budget hotel chain providing good quality and great value accommodation to business travellers, we have over three decades of expertise in business travel. With the launch of Travelodge Business™ and a network of over 578 hotels across the length and breadth of the UK, we are ready to support British industry as it kick starts its business travel programme again.”

Travelodge Business™ is free to join at: www.travelodge.co.uk/business. Detailed below are the key benefits of Travelodge Business™:

Personalised booking process – The sophisticated intuitive booking system remembers customer’s favourite locations, preferences and will save payment details for a quick and simple booking process

Advanced Administration – The enhanced account management system makes it easier to add multiple bookers/guests, download VAT invoices and get detailed reporting on all bookings.

Improved Payment Terms – Customers can benefit from interest free payment terms, no credit card fees, multiple card users and pre-paid food and drink options

Account Support – The dedicated Business Support team assists customers with all of their bookings and account management plus large account holders also have a dedicated account manager

More discounts – Customers can enjoy 5% off flexible room rates with early access offers so that they always benefit from the lowest price.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Travelodge experienced five years of consecutive year-on-year growth in business customers staying at the iconic budget brand. This rise helped the business to grow its business customer revenue share to over 50% and in 2019, the company welcomed 10 million business customers and attracted up to 1,000 new business customers each week.

Travelodge operates over 590 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain. Over 80% of the group’s hotels are located in major cities, towns, railway stations, airports and conference centres.

Travelodge has over 200 hotels with an on-site restaurant called the Bar Café which offers a modern breakfast, dinner and Bar menu. The unlimited hot Travelodge Breakfast is £8.75 and the dinner menu deal is £12.25 for a main meal with the option of either a side dish or desert. The bar menu offers a range of fine wines, spirits and a range of ales and beers.

Travelodge now features over 2,000 of its premium economy SuperRooms across its UK hotels. The SuperRoom is the group’s premium economy room-type and was the first of its kind to be launched in the UK budget hotel market in 2017. It dials up the comfort factor and is designed for customers who want the choice of a more premium room.

Travelodge has also partnered up for the first time with The Business Travel Association and is looking forward to working with the association to enrich and streamline the travel experience for business travellers.